Saturday, February 7, 2015

It's February and Valentines day is coming upon
us. I thought it appropriate for this month to discuss love, sex, intimacy and
familial relations in relation to culture.

Since the beginning of time, men
and women have sought ways to understand and interpret a vague, yet central
theme that colors the quality of human life: Love. According to the
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "there are as many forms of love as there are
lovers." Love can mean an intense feeling of affection, an emotion or
simply an emotional state. Each language, developing alongside a
corresponding culture, has a different set of words to describe love.
Here are a few examples:

Forelsket: (Norwegian): The euphoria you experience when
you’re first falling in love.

This is a wonderful term for that
blissful state, when all your senses are acute for the beloved, the pins and
needles thrill of the novelty.

Mamihlapinatapei (Yagan, an indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego): The
wordless yet meaningful look shared by two people who desire to initiate
something, but are both reluctant to start.

Oh yes, this is an exquisite word,
compressing a thrilling and scary relationship moment where neither party has
mustered the courage to make a move.

Retrouvailles (French): The happiness of meeting again after a
long time.

This is such a basic concept, and
so familiar to the growing ranks of commuter and long distance relationships,
lovers, who see each other only periodically for intense bursts of pleasure.
I’m surprised we don’t have any equivalent word for this subset of relationship
bliss. It’s a handy one for modern life.

If you had to describe romantic
love in ten words, what words whould you use? Scientists
and researchers at New York Sate University at
New Paltz and Russia's Moscow State University carried out a study to see how
different cultures view and practice romantic love,
the researchers surveyed 1,157 adults from the United States, Russia and
Lithuania. Participants were given a 14-item questionnaire meant to gauge how
they perceived romantic love, and also asked to write a freelist answering the
question, "What do you associate with romantic love?"

According to LiveScience:
" Americans take longer to fall in love than their Eastern European
counterparts, according to a new study. The findings also showed that Americans
frequently cited friendship as a key part of romantic love, while Russians and
Lithuanians rarely mentioned it."

"The study found that about
90 percent of Lithuanians reported falling in love within a month of meeting
one another, with 39percent falling in love with in a matter of days. By comparison, 58 percent of American participants indicated they fell in love with in two months to a year".

The study performed displays the
results in the following:

The top 10 listed by Lithuanians:

1.Being together: 50 percent

2.Joy: 20 percent

3.Walk: 17.5 percent

4.Emotional upsurge: 17.5 percent

5.Happy: 16.25 percent

6.Kiss: 15 percent

7.Do things together: 11.25 percent

8.Temporary: 11.25 percent

9.Sex: 11.25 percent

10.Attention: 10 percent

Top 10 listed by Russians:

1.Being together: 45 percent

2.Sex: 25 percent

3.Walking: 24 percent

4.Unreal: 20 percent5.Beach/sea: 19 percent

6.Joyful: 16 percent

7.Travel: 15 percent

8.Moon stars: 15 percent

9.Candlelight dinner: 10 percent

10.Night: 9 percent

Top 10 listed by U.S.
participants:

1.Being together: 38 percent

2.Happy: 35 percent

3.Friendship: 27 percent

4.Mutual: 20 percent

5.Care: 13 percent

6.Love: 13 percent

7.Sex: 13 percent

8.Comfortable: 11 percent

9.Connection: 10 percent

10.Secure: 10 percent

I think it is very interesting
that of all three countries "being together" is ranked as number 1.
Sex is a very different story; it jumps all over the place.
Lithuanina ranks sex at 9, while Russians rank sex at second and the U.S.
follows at 7th place. Apprently Russians associate sex with love at
a very high level. I wonder why that is? Joy being associate with
romantic love ranks very highly with Lithuaninans at second and 6th with
Russians. Americans according to this study don't associate
"joy" at all on the top ten. Hmmm.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

This is a must see for every human being! I know all you guys in my International studies class eyes will glaze over when watching this trailer because you are more interested in drug cartels and sanctions; but let me ask you this question… How many sanctions made by men have put women and children into these horrific situations? A man's role is to provide and protect his family. Why are women having to create their own armies to protect themselves? Come on guys lets be men. It's time to fulfill your purpose for being on this earth- provide and protect women and children!